kwelles

The 7" model sells for $170 with free shipping at Amazon (Woot's parent company) So basically for $35 more I can get a brand new one vs a refurbished one and a one year warranty vs a 3 month warranty. So, bottom line, it's hard to justify this price.

conanthelibrarian

slaker1

Neither of these devices are terribly compelling. There are a crap-ton of 7", 1024x600, 8GB tablets available for under $120 and Samsung's 7" and 10" tablets don't really have any added value compared to those from any other Android device manufacturer.

If I were looking at another Android tablet, one of the first things I'd consider would be the availability of a high-res screen for the relevant form factor. The Nook HD and Nook HD+ aren't fantastic as Android devices, but they are compelling as cheap ways to get a device with a good screen and they can load third party firmware with relative ease. Those might be a better place to start.

conanthelibrarian

cage017

I was looking into getting a tablet to replace my 3 year old netbook and this and the Asus Memopad were my two choices for the money (trying to stay below $300).

I was leaning towards the Samsung Tab since it has the universal remote feature and the Asus for the mini HDMI port. Is the [Samsung] dual core and the [Asus] quad core processors that different?

What have your experiences been with refurbished Samsung products? About 7 years ago I bought a open box Samsung DVD recorder that lasted me two years. I sent it directly to Samsung for repair and received it back where it stopped working a year later. Since that incident (and after spending $500 overall), I have not trusted any used electronics products.

Batman4oz

I still like my 5" Samsung Galaxy Tab that I bought here a couple of years ago...it just got to be too small, so I now have a 10" Toshiba Thrive, because it was the only tablet at the time to have a user-replaceable battery (also got a great accessory kit which includes the battery, second charger, colored back, docking station and case for $20!)
I like both tablets, and the Samsung is so easy to carry with me, without lugging around another item--it fits in a small bag with wallet, etc.
Just my thoughts.
^^X^^

Wooting for Bat Capes
JUDY-ism...the Only Religion I need!
WWJD...What Would JUDY Do?!

bmrbill

snarkygal

slaker1 wrote:Neither of these devices are terribly compelling. There are a crap-ton of 7", 1024x600, 8GB tablets available for under $120 and Samsung's 7" and 10" tablets don't really have any added value compared to those from any other Android device manufacturer.

If I were looking at another Android tablet, one of the first things I'd consider would be the availability of a high-res screen for the relevant form factor. The Nook HD and Nook HD+ aren't fantastic as Android devices, but they are compelling as cheap ways to get a device with a good screen and they can load third party firmware with relative ease. Those might be a better place to start.

fuzi719

Back in April, my siblings and I got our parents a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1". This is my parents first computing device. Right out of the box it updated to Jellybean 4.1.2. The Wi-Fi works well, they can use it all over their home, even outside. They love the big screen. When I've used it I've been pleased with the performance, it doesn't seem to lag. Mom loves Youtube and Amazon, Dad likes the card games. They're very happy, so that makes me happy.

almquist

Bought the 7 in here in Feb for 139.99. Like it a lot. The only knocks I have are that it takes longer than my acer to charge and that there is no USB port to take music when I travel. You can use the micro SD card, but that doesn't play in the car. It took great video of an outdoor swim meet and Samsung does have some unique apps. My favorite is a tetris puzzle game (I can't get the name, because I haven't used it in 2 weeks and the charger can't keep up while its on so it won't turn on with a dead battery.) Keep it charged and it's fine. Thinking about getting one for mother-in-law. Not sure if $10 cheaper 7 months later is enough of a discount.

radi0j0hn

I have a couple of people asking me about tablets art work, as I have both an iPad2 and a smaller Samsung that I like as well for the freedom from Apple it offers.

But here's the hitch: In my experience, tablets are great for consuming info and light email work, but not for serious production, IE longer writing, creating web pages, even longer blogs.

And while I can and do plug in an XLR pro mic and do recording on the iPad (via adapter), it's not as much fun as I expected.

The lack of a real keyboard and some anemic apps (especially for making web pages) steers me to a light laptop. Even my three year old Acer "netbook" is better for getting some work done.

Sure, you can buy a keyboard, but then you are carrying more stuff and the apps are still lacking.

I'm sure we will hear from someone who is running an entire business empire on a tablet, but I think that kind of person is in the minority, as are those who suggest buying a tablet and immediately replacing the firmware.

These kind of folks are "enthusiasts," and are in a different place than consumers.

Perhaps I am missing the apps that make it all wonderful, and if so, I'd appreciate suggestions.

kender

Yep. Have a 7" running android 4.2.2. Works great for Wifey and her book reading obsession. The only thing I dislike is the non standard USB charger. You kind of get used to unplugging your phone and plugging another device into the same charger. This has it's own type of USB adapter. Minor annoyance. She wanted the $50 dollar cover from the big box stores. I found one on the bay from China for like $7 bucks including shipping, and it's working great. With the newest android update, you can actually move most of your apps to the microSD card and save that precious internal memory!

drthomasho

kwelles wrote:The 7" model sells for $170 with free shipping at Amazon (Woot's parent company) So basically for $35 more I can get a brand new one vs a refurbished one and a one year warranty vs a 3 month warranty. So, bottom line, it's hard to justify this price.

vanguard64

Admittedly, I may be coming out of the dark ages with respect to anything newer than a netbook, but is this device runs the Android system, which also runs some smart phones, isn't there some requirement that you have a subscription to an unlimited mobile phone service?
Or is this just a small netbook that requires wifi or other direct connection to access the internet?
Thanks.

danfiveoh

vanguard64 wrote:Admittedly, I may be coming out of the dark ages with respect to anything newer than a netbook, but is this device runs the Android system, which also runs some smart phones, isn't there some requirement that you have a subscription to an unlimited mobile phone service?
Or is this just a small netbook that requires wifi or other direct connection to access the internet?
Thanks.

"Or is this just a small netbook that requires wifi or other direct connection to access the internet?"
Bingo! You have it right!

radi0j0hn

vanguard64 wrote:Admittedly, I may be coming out of the dark ages with respect to anything newer than a netbook, but is this device runs the Android system, which also runs some smart phones, isn't there some requirement that you have a subscription to an unlimited mobile phone service?
Or is this just a small netbook that requires wifi or other direct connection to access the internet?
Thanks.

Most tablets can be found with only WIFI, no phone connection or subscription needed.

cyberclark1

Batman4oz wrote:I still like my 5" Samsung Galaxy Tab that I bought here a couple of years ago...it just got to be too small, so I now have a 10" Toshiba Thrive, because it was the only tablet at the time to have a user-replaceable battery (also got a great accessory kit which includes the battery, second charger, colored back, docking station and case for $20!)
I like both tablets, and the Samsung is so easy to carry with me, without lugging around another item--it fits in a small bag with wallet, etc.
Just my thoughts.
^^X^^

Replaceable Battery! That is a big point. I notice they don't tell you want kind of battery they have in them nor the service cycle or life. I would stay away pending a full disclosure by them.

jmjet

For what it's worth to the arguments for other cheaper devices, know that not all tablets perform the same. I've got an Asus Transformer Pad, and love all things Asus because of their quality PC parts.

Imagine my chagrin, then, that the thing gets overloaded trying to catch up with notifications and app updates when I turn it on, and is often almost useless for 5 minutes or so. On paper the quad core processed is better, but the way the devices were designed, my roommate's Galaxy Tab 2 works way better than my Asus.

hanscarlet

I bought one of these new from Costco a few months ago for about $300, the 10 in with pouch. I think it's only 8GB though. I have to say I absolutely love it. It's almost as big as an iPad, the apps are the same you can get in the google play store. It rarely freezes on me. I put in a microSD card and store all of my photos and videos on there with ease. I think the screen resolution is awesome, very crisp HD. I don't know how this particular deal is though because it's refurbished. Seems like there is already a tab 3 out now.

mtbandit

cage017 wrote:I was looking into getting a tablet to replace my 3 year old netbook and this and the Asus Memopad were my two choices for the money (trying to stay below $300).

I was leaning towards the Samsung Tab since it has the universal remote feature and the Asus for the mini HDMI port. Is the [Samsung] dual core and the [Asus] quad core processors that different?

What have your experiences been with refurbished Samsung products? About 7 years ago I bought a open box Samsung DVD recorder that lasted me two years. I sent it directly to Samsung for repair and received it back where it stopped working a year later. Since that incident (and after spending $500 overall), I have not trusted any used electronics products.

I have not noticed any difference between a factory refurb and new. Got my Tab 2 10.1 when it was here in January, and I swear by it. It has replaced my laptop for most of my work related tasks (I'm a printer repair field technician). One of the best tech investments I've made.

SFX95901

Great deal for equipping the kids. For myself, I would end up being disappointed that I had not spent a few extra bucks for a Nexus or new Nexus FH. Much faster processor, true HD screens (720p&1080p respectively) 1GB/2GB system memory and Android 4.3 plus upgrades to all the latest & greatest versions (not stuck at an old dead end like 4.1). And $239-$269 for the new FH snapdragon powered version (don't know how cheap the old original 720p Nexus is now). So you can save a few dollars, but your stuck with old tech & who likes old tech - blechhhhhhhhh.

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